1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a mobile device having an acoustic shock prevention circuit. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for preventing an acoustic shock in a mobile device.
2. Description of the Related Art
With a rapid growth in mobile communication technology, mobile devices now provide a variety of functions that typically include a video call, a scheduler, a digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), a wireless Internet, and the like in addition to traditional functions such as a voice call and a text message transmission. In order to favorably offer such functions, mobile devices now include various components such as a camera module, an antenna, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, a broadcast antenna, a wireless LAN module, and the like. Also, mobile devices have in general both a receiver for outputting voices during a call, and a speaker for outputting ring tones, music sounds, etc.
Moreover, to meet market demands for improving design, portability, power usage, cost, etc., mobile devices have become much smaller, thinner, and lighter with each new generation of mobile devices. Such a device does not have enough space for a receiver and a speaker separately equipped, so an improved speaker having a receiver function (hereinafter, referred to as a receiver-integrated speaker) has been developed and is increasing in use.
A receiver-integrated speaker is positioned such as to be very close to a user's ear during a normal voice call. Therefore, a conventional mobile device restricts, based on software, the output level of a receiver-integrated speaker while a voice call is being performed. However, such a mobile device may have a possibility that an acoustic shock will occur unexpectedly due to some trouble in a communication network, unusual operation in audio gain, etc. When this acoustic shock occurs, most users may experience discomfort and pain due to a sudden loud sound, and some users may suffer a hearing deficiency. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a new way of preventing an unexpected acoustic shock during a voice call in a mobile device having a receiver-integrated speaker.